


Interwoven

by roxyryoko



Series: Drabbles in the Dark [14]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Indirect Kiss, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), commoner techniques
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23616703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxyryoko/pseuds/roxyryoko
Summary: “That there,” she clarified. “With the wheat. I am having curiosity. Ashe, please explain this custom.”“Oh,” he began a bit uneasily. “They’re weaving some of the wheat from the harvest into a knot. It’s supposed to tie your futures together.”At a harvest festival, Petra is intrigued by one of the activities. Unfortunately, what catches her fascination is not something a future queen and a commoner should do together. It's for lovers.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Petra Macneary
Series: Drabbles in the Dark [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590193
Comments: 29
Kudos: 90
Collections: Those Who Drabble in the Dark





	Interwoven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yaminogame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaminogame/gifts).



> This weeks prompt is "world building on culture, myth, and legends" so I decided to do a little bit of a harvest festival and borrow the celtic love knot! 
> 
> I dedicate this story to my sister yaminogame! Thank you for helping me so much these last few months when my life spiraled into bad times. I hope you enjoy this little piece of your OTP!

Ashe dove his face directly into the basin of water, mouth open, teeth bared and aiming for the red apple floating on the surface. Droplets splashed onto his neck and shoulders. The chill of the liquid against his skin still sent a shiver coursing down his back despite the repetitive nature of the action. Under the lap of the water, he squinted his eyes shut.

The fruit plunged down beneath his weight and his teeth grazed its skin. He closed his mouth around it, readying himself to tug it up, but instead it slipped out of the way, and lolled up buoyant besides his cheek. 

He reeled his head back up with a frustrated gasp, propelling water droplets in all directions.

“I have grabbed the victory!” Petra exclaimed to his right, and he instantly shot his head around. 

Petra beamed triumphantly at him. Her basin lay empty of apples, while one of the buckets between them was piled full of the fruit, a heaping stack compared to the meager supply he managed to retrieve.

“Wow!” he commended, wiping the water from his chin with the cuff of his sleeve. “You’re pretty good at this.”

She laughed lightly. “I will be telling you the secret if you wish.” She gestured to his basin. “It is the same as catching fish. You must think like the hunter. Watch and have patience. Then you pounce on the prey.”  
  
She dove into his basin and easily plucked up an apple. With a bite, Petra dropped it into her palm, and then held it up to his mouth. 

Ashe stared wide-eyed at it. The yellow exposed interior from her bite was suspended a mere inch from his lips.

Her action jostled his thoughts and he only managed to sputter out a shaky, “Oh, I see.”

Summoning his courage, he sank his own teeth into the apple and stole a small bite. 

But it felt like he stole a _kiss_ as well.

Petra retracted it and the smile on her lips grew wider. They munched in silence while the game master bagged the apples they had extracted.

“I am finding this ‘harvest festival’ very enjoyable!” Petra said at last. “You have my gratitude for sharing this commoner activity with me.”

He chuckled. “No need for thanks. I’m just glad you’re having such a good time. Festivals like these are best experienced in good company.”

“In Brigid we have a similar tradition, but for fish not vegetables. We play music and dance so the terrifying face of the ocean is appeased and ask the kind face to provide bountiful food for the year. When you are coming to Brigid, I will be happy to be sharing this with you.”

“All right.” Ashe mirrored her smile. “That sounds really interesting. I look forward to it.”

With a tap on the shoulder, the farmer handed Ashe the bag of apples. After exchanging thanks, Ashe returned his attention to his companion.

“Now, what would you like to do next?” 

Petra looked around at the various stalls. Her eyes were wide with curiosity and excitement, and Ashe couldn’t help but find it endearing.

At last she raised her hand and pointed. “Let us be trying that next.”

Ashe whirled around to follow her finger. His eyes fell on a stall where several couples stood around barrels filled with wheat. Surely, she couldn’t mean that activity.

“That there,” she clarified. “With the wheat. I am having curiosity. Ashe, please explain this custom.”

“Oh,” he began a bit uneasily. “They’re weaving some of the wheat from the harvest into a knot. It’s supposed to tie your futures together.”

“Ah! It is a curse, yes?”

Ashe shook his head. “What? No! No! Nothing scary like that.” A blush rose on his cheeks and he couldn’t meet her eyes. “It’s just something...lovers do. It’s called a love knot.”

Suddenly, Petra grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the stall. “We shall be trying it!”

“Did you not hear me?” Ashe asked with exasperation, stumbling along but not resisting. “It’s not something a queen and—and a commoner should be doing together.”

She came to a halt and looked him in the eye. Confusion and hurt twisted her brows. “When you are coming to Brigid, you shall be my knight, yes?”

“Well, yes, that is what you said. And I’m more than excited to be a knight in your service, but still…” His chest ached. “This isn’t something a queen should do with a low-born knight either.”

Petra mulled over his words for a moment, but then her features lit up. “You are not having understanding, Ashe.”

She took both his hands in hers, and added, “When you are coming to Brigid, you will be coming to be my husband.”

Ashe froze and he swore he stopped breathing. He could feel the heat rising up his cheeks, burning away all remaining moisture from his apple dunking adventure. He felt like she was speaking in Brigidese to him, but no, he certainly heard her correctly. 

“Y-your husband?” he stammered. 

The smile on Petra’s lips faltered slightly. “Is that not what you are wanting as well?” Doubt saturated her tone.

Ashe shook his head vigorously. “No, no! I mean—yes! Yes, it is what I want.” Pulling himself together, he smiled softly. “Truly.”

Her smile returned in full bloom and he rubbed a thumb along her wrist. “Petra, I...I’m just so happy you feel the same. I thought these feelings were improper, and hoping for anything more than friendship was just wishful thinking. Just a silly dream born of reading too many books.”

"It is not silly. We are having the same dream." Petra leaned her head on his shoulder. Her warm breath tickled his neck as she hummed, “You are giving me great happiness as well.”

Hesitantly, Ashe released her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist. Time seemed to stop, and Ashe didn’t think he ever felt more content.

After several precious moments, she shifted her gaze to look up at him from her perch on his shoulder. “Now you will be doing the love knotting with me?”

Ashe grinned, euphoric bliss overwhelming him. “Yes, of course,” he promised as he nuzzled his cheek against hers. “But let’s stay like this a little longer first.”


End file.
